Sydney’s monthly car gatherings are back on again, with a foodie twist! Great food and awesome cars are always a popular mix, so it’s no surprise that the Meet & Eat went off! Double demerits didn’t put off car enthusiasts who showed up in a large variety of rides. We also have to say the food was on-point, thanks to gourmet food trucks who showed up. Check out our picks for the Cars of Bendix this month!

Laurence’s Mazda MX-5

It’s the hairdresser’s car, Rambo edition. Laurence of Brintech Customs showed up with an MX-5 packing a big V8 under the fibreglass one-piece front end on this Mazda MX-5. In order to accommodate the cammed LS1 out of a Holden Commodore SS, the entire front chassis past the firewall was tossed out, and replaced with a tubular chassis. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a T66, and distributed sideways thanks to a RX-7 differential and custom driveshafts. To reign in the newfound power, brakes and hubs were converted to Nissan Silvia S15. Built to be a ferocious weekend toy by Brintech Customs, the owner has had it for 7 years, before taking the next step forward. He plans to stroked the LS1 and go roll racing, just to see what it can do.

Rob’s 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS

This tough classic muscle car has a history like you wouldn’t believe. With just 32,000 miles on the odometer, it is as mint as it comes. Rob bought it from a deceased estate in Baltimore, USA, where it has been off the road for over 46 years. Originally gold with a black roof, the car was brought back and stripped for a proper restoration and modification for more power. Rob says it’s mint as you would expect for a car that had only seen 2 years of driving. All the chrome bits save for the mirrors and front pillar windows are original. The seat trims, dash and roof lining looked like it just came off the showroom floor. The original engine has been replaced with a 454 Chevy small block, stroked to 502 cubic inches and makes about 600hp. To handle all that power, a manualized Turbo 400 with a 4000RPM chucks the power through a 9in differential out the rear.

Ransom’s Ford Falcon AU Ute

First bought brand new in 1998, Ransom’s Ford Falcon ute was destined to be a promotional vehicle for his wife’s business. When asked if he was a Ford man all his life, Ransom replied “Nope, we just got tired of waiting an hour at the Holden dealership, and just walked across to Ford!” After nearly 20 years in hot pink and purple, Ransom decided it was time to turn it into a tough street car. Other than being meme’d to hell and back, the Falcon AU had a reputation for fast, effortless cruising. Ransom’s ute though, was built to be a road missile. The old engine made way for a Dart 302 V8 block, which was then stroked to 373cu. The Windsor based motor has also been given a shot of giggle gas to help lit the afterburners. Packing 600hp, the 175hp nitrous shot helped Ransom propel the ute into the 10s. He’s aiming to get it down even further with the new 300hp nitrous shot setup!

Chuck’s 1970 Datsun Skyline Hakosuka C10

When it comes to desirable Japanese classics, the Hakosuka Skyline finds itself perched above all the rest. The good ol’ boxy Skyline saw the birth of the almighty GT-R and because of this, the Hakosuka is extremely sought after, even in non-GT-R form. Chuck’s 1970 Datsun Skyline C10 is especially rare as it’s a four-door example, which Nissan built less of than its coupe stablemate. Chuck owns one of three four-door Hakosuka Skylines that call Australia home. Now Chuck isn’t one to keep a classic completely original, rather opting to keep the Japanese icon tasteful with period-correct mods. Under the bonnet lives an L28 stroker fitted with 47mm OER carbs, singing to the tune of about 200kW, making it quite the formidable force given the Hakosuka’s lightweight body. All of that power is put to the ground through a Nissan Z five-speed and a Nismo 1.5 way R180 diff, making the Skyline quite a lively thing to chuck about. Inside the cabin, Chuck has treated himself to a pair of old-school Bride bucket seats that don’t look out of place within the near 50-year-old interior. Outside, the Skyline looks exactly how you’d imagine they hotted these things up over in the motherland back in the 70s. A set of Watanabe RS8 wheels, coupled with a healthy drop and a front lip and rear spoiler pulled of the GT-R keep this Hakosuka looking faithful to a time long passed.

Paul’s 1989 BMW 318i

The BMW E30 has exploded in popularity in the recent years, and have left Paul, owner of numerous E30s, scratching his head. Since he’s no stranger to the E30 chassis, he’s set out to build one just for his go-fast cravings. It started off with a parts car he purchased. It had a blown motor and was set to be cannibalized by Paul and his son for bits when he noticed the body was true, and had a rather mint chassis. He set it aside, then when he got hold of a S54 inline six from the BMW M3 E46, he didn’t hold back. The massive six went into the bay, complete with its original gearbox. Having only 56,000kms on it, the legendary engine runs as tight as a drum; needed as Paul tracks his E30 regularly! With massive Brembo brakes, he had to get custom 17in Simmons wheels to suit. Nitto NT01s are his choice of track rubber. Combined with just 990kg and firepower under the bonnet, Paul circulates Wakefield Park at 1:09:9. Just to make sure people see him coming up from behind, the E30 features a custom two-tone paint job.

John’s Toyota Supra MK4

You’d never really see a car done like this at street meets, simply because it’s not a street car. Turning up on the back of a trailer to support his mate’s trade stall, John told us it was originally a NA aero-top automatic Supra, and he has left no stone unturned to turn it into a fire breathing time-attack weapon. The entire car was stripped and the chassis stitch-welded for extra stiffness. The legendary 2JZ-GTE engine was fettled with a 3.2L stroker kit, forged CP pistons, Kelford camshafts, springs and retainers, before being placed into the body. From there it sucked air in via a massive Precision 6466 turbocharger and dispels it via a 6-Boost manifold. Thanks to a combination of E85, Haltech ECUs and John’s shop J&J Motorsports expertise, the Supra now churns 650hp on 19PSI, 870hp on 32PSI. All four corners are shod with Volk Racing CE28s, measuring 18x10.5 wide. The body has been extended via a Ridox kit. Weight has been stripped out leaving only the bare essentials for racing, and even the doors and hatch has been replaced with lightweight carbon fibre items. John has taken it to World Time Attack Challenge 2017, but the car will be undergoing more development before it enters the next one.

Ash’s Ford Escort Mk.1

When you know you have something special, you hang on to it for dear life. It’s exactly what Ash did. This Ford Escort Mk.1 has been with him through thick and thin, since he was 14. It’s almost 20 years now and the love is still going strong. “It’s been through quite a few changes, most notably about three engines!” he says. A worked 2L Pinto now sits up front. It gulps fuel and air through twin Webers, then converts the mixture into 160hp, sent to the rear wheels. Plenty for the lightweight Escort. It’s bright orange; a 16 year old paint job that was done in the shed. In fact, Ash and his late dad worked on the car themselves. It was built, painted, assembled and fixed in the driveway or shed, never seeing the inside of a workshop unless it’s absolutely needed.

Ryan’s 2008 Subaru WRX STi

Sitting low and fat in the middle of the meet was Ryan’s 2008 Impreza WRX STi. The already beefed up hatchback gets more girth thanks to a set of bolt on flares; required to cover the 10.5in wide Enkei RS05RRs. The width is accentuated by Ryan’s choice of aero enhancements. Upfront is an Ewing splitter with a pair of AutoElements canards. It’s not for show either; under the scooped bonnet lies a forged boxer motor, spinning a reliable 250kW to all four wheels, thanks a Blouch 2.5 turbo and a tank of E85. That infamous boxer beat shouts from an Ark Performance exhaust, apparently 1 of 1 in Australia.

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